Arista Records

Arista Records has made a three-year deal with Grammy award-winning producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to distribute, promote and market the duo's Flyte Tyme Records. Jam and Lewis, who are responsible for most of Janet Jackson's chart-topping recordings, as well as hits from such artists as Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey, will produce music for Arista artists, said Arista President Antonio "L.A." Reid. In addition, artists will be signed to Flyte Tyme and marketed by Arista.

Bertelsmann Music Group on Wednesday announced a long-rumored reorganization resulting in a loss of about 150 employees. As expected, the German-owned conglomerate folded its Arista Records label into its RCA Music Group division. The move comes even as sales reports indicate Arista will claim the top spot on the nation's pop chart next week with R&B singer Usher's "Confessions" album. It's on track to sell more than 800,000 copies and become Arista's biggest chart debut.

It's been an excruciating year at Arista Records, home to such stars as Santana, Kenny G and Whitney Houston. After a bloody corporate battle ended in the ousting this summer of Arista founder Clive Davis, as well as the two bosses who orchestrated his exit, rivals began predicting a prolonged death for the shell-shocked New York label, a subsidiary of German media giant Bertelsmann. But Davis' successor, Antonio "L.A."

In a far-reaching reorganization, Bertelsmann is expected to shrink its Arista Records label and consolidate the back-office operations of its North American music division under new domestic chief Clive Davis, sources said. As part of the move, the vast majority of Arista's approximately 175 employees will be let go, sources said.

Arista Records President Clive Davis sat on a couch in his regular bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel recently, looking a bit like the cat that ate the canary. The coffee table was covered with cassettes to be listened to, album cover artwork to be looked over and sheets of song lyrics to be approved. The telephone jangled incessantly with calls from people hoping for just a few minutes of his time to pitch a hot new singer or songwriter.

"He has the ears of middle America." That's the way Don Ienner, president of Columbia Records, explains the success and longevity of his former boss, Arista Records President Clive Davis. Those who tune in tonight's television special, "That's What Friends Are For," will see just what Ienner means. The show, which airs at 9 p.m.

Milli Vanilli's Rob Pilatus admitted Thursday in Los Angeles that neither he nor partner Fab Morvan sang a note on the duo's multimillion-selling 1988 album "Girl You Know It's True." Pilatus' admission came after the pair was fired Wednesday by their German producer Frank Farian and after officials at the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences said that they may review the group's 1989 Grammy as best new artist. Milli Vanilli could lose the award, an unprecedented action.

March 7, 1990 | BETH KLEID, Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press

Dial a New Tune: Callers to 1-900-860-GIVE can listen to previously unreleased songs from Whitney Houston, Jeffrey Osborne, Kenny G, Taylor Dayne and Milli Vanilli. Westwood One established the 900 number to help Arista Records raise money for AIDS research, and will donate the proceeds from the calls to the Arista Records Foundation. The project is in conjunction with Arista Records' AIDS benefit concert on March 17 at New York's Radio City Music Hall.

SMALL FACES: Carlos Santana has brought Lauryn Hill of the Fugees into the studio to produce and perform on some tracks for the guitarist's first album for Arista Records, with whom he signed last year. The album will be released in either late 1998 or early 1999.

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences revoked Milli Vanilli's 1989 Grammy for best new artist on Monday, marking the first such action in the 33-year history of the recording industry award. The Burbank-based academy's board of trustees took action after admissions last week by Milli Vanilli performers Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan and their German producer, Frank Farian, that the photogenic pop duo did not sing a note on their album, "Girl You Know It's True."

Antonio "L.A." Reid, the Grammy-winning producer who developed such acts as Outkast before losing his job running Arista Records last month, will be named chairman of the rival Island Def Jam label today, sources said. The move, which had been expected, comes less than four weeks after Bertelsmann Music Group ousted Reid in the first step of a reorganization that also has put his predecessor, industry veteran Clive Davis, back in charge of the Arista label he founded and ran for 25 years.

In an abrupt shake-up, Bertelsmann Music Group ousted Antonio "L.A." Reid as the chief executive of Arista Records, the label that has owned the top spot on the nation's pop chart with its double CD from rap duo OutKast. The move, announced Tuesday, was BMG's response to lackluster financial results at the New York-based label, once BMG's biggest U.S. unit. The company didn't name a successor to Reid, who sources said had about a year and a half remaining on his contract.

Arista Records, whose artist roster includes such acts as Avril Lavigne, has hired R&B veteran Jermaine Dupri as senior vice president in an effort to bolster its presence in black music. Dupri, who has produced or remixed top-selling recordings by such acts as Usher and Jay-Z, will report to Arista chief Antonio "L.A." Reid. Dupri also will record for Arista and oversee his So So Def imprint, which had been distributed previously through Columbia Records.

Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, a controversial member of chart-topping American R&B trio TLC, was killed in a car crash in Honduras Thursday, a spokeswoman for her record label said. No other details were supplied by Laura Swanson, a representative of Arista Records in New York. The lineup of TLC, whose hit songs included "No Scrubs" and "Waterfalls," was rounded out by Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins. Lopes, who was in her 30s, made headlines in 1994 after she was arrested for burning down the house of her then-boyfriend, former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Andre Rison.

The Argyle Hotel was buzzing as BMG Entertainment execs and their friends awaited the night's big winner: Alicia Keys. The 21-year-old songstress earned five Grammys Wednesday night, marking a major win for Clive Davis. Carlos Santana was on the patio taking in the view. Jimmy Jam was checking out the buffet. Davis, the founder of J Records, was halfway through his victory lap when a friend tapped him on the shoulder. "Alicia's here," he said. Davis immediately excused himself and headed through the thick crowd.

Clive Davis is having the last laugh. Barely a year after being driven from power at Bertelsmann's Arista Records, Davis is back on top with a new label and a new artist. "Songs in A Minor," the debut from Davis discovery Alicia Keys, sold 236,000 copies in its first week to capture the No. 1 spot on Billboard magazine's U.S. pop rankings. It's the third top 10 debut for Davis' new J Records label in less than eight months. "What can I say?

Radio stations declared themselves "Milli Vanilli Free" and former fans signed petitions denouncing the pop duo Friday after it was learned they didn't really sing on their hit 1988 debut album. "People are mad," said disc jockey Paul J. Roberts of WQQK-FM in Nashville, Tenn. "After we made the announcement we took 120 calls in about an hour and 40 minutes."

Arista Records, whose artist roster includes such acts as Avril Lavigne, has hired R&B veteran Jermaine Dupri as senior vice president in an effort to bolster its presence in black music. Dupri, who has produced or remixed top-selling recordings by such acts as Usher and Jay-Z, will report to Arista chief Antonio "L.A." Reid. Dupri also will record for Arista and oversee his So So Def imprint, which had been distributed previously through Columbia Records.

It's been an excruciating year at Arista Records, home to such stars as Santana, Kenny G and Whitney Houston. After a bloody corporate battle ended in the ousting this summer of Arista founder Clive Davis, as well as the two bosses who orchestrated his exit, rivals began predicting a prolonged death for the shell-shocked New York label, a subsidiary of German media giant Bertelsmann. But Davis' successor, Antonio "L.A."

Arista Records has made a three-year deal with Grammy award-winning producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to distribute, promote and market the duo's Flyte Tyme Records. Jam and Lewis, who are responsible for most of Janet Jackson's chart-topping recordings, as well as hits from such artists as Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey, will produce music for Arista artists, said Arista President Antonio "L.A." Reid. In addition, artists will be signed to Flyte Tyme and marketed by Arista.